People are invariably surprised by how delicious this dish is. I first tasted it at the home of my friend Claire, who was hosting a dinner for a large group of Master Food Preservers gathered to plan the next year’s classes at OSU Extension, or I thought I did! I made mental notes as Claire prepared the dish and later went home and wrote down what I remembered. In talking with her recently it turns out my memory was not very accurate, but the dish sure is delicious! Such is the nature of recipes; they change with each cook.

Cubes of sweet pumpkin (any type of pumpkin or winter squash is suitable) are sauteed in a bit of butter until tender. Fresh sage leaves are cut in ribbons and sizzled in more butter, and the two are tossed into a pound of al dente spinach fettucchine. Divine![Read more…]

Secret ingredient assures tender texture and smooth rolling. See how it’s made with step-by-step photos.

This is an indulgent and yet healthful goody. You’ll love having a stash of Pumpkin Pie Fruit Leather for portable snacks. I played around with ideas for this recipe for about 3 pumpkin seasons and while it can be made without pectin I find the texture of the finished product more toothsome and less prone to cracking when I do use it. Feel free to alter the spices to suit your taste.[Read more…]

In fact most winter squash are filled with edible seeds. Some squash in the moschata or maxima family however have extremely tough fibrous seeds that are best not ingested, but the smooth seeds from your Halloween jack-o-lantern are not only edible, but delicious! So cook up that squash for Roasted Squash Puree or make Spaghetti Squash with Choice of Flavors, and then toast the seeds for a kid-friendly snack.

My first grade teacher, Mrs. Haugh (pronounced ‘Hawk’) sent each of her students home with a slip of paper with these directions. Even at 6 years old I was eager to try new recipes, and luckily I had a sympathetic and understanding mother who was willing to go along with the idea. Thanks for everything Mom! You are the best![Read more…]

For many years spaghetti squash was touted as an alternative for spaghetti noodles and recipes for it involved various tomato-y sauces. You may prefer it prepared this way, with a dressing of butter and/or olive oil and herbs. You’ll appreciate the flavor and texture of the vegetable and perhaps even find yourself craving it like I do![Read more…]

I first tasted pumpkin seed butter at my local grower’s market and was utterly surprised at how delicious it was. The color is an unpromising shade of green that makes you think of kale or sprouts, but the flavor is anything but. In fact, it tastes more like almond butter or peanut butter – rich, luxurious, wonderful mouth-feel. I had to buy a jar of it. I then proceeded to eat it directly from the jar with a spoon over the next 3 days. It is that good. It is, of course good on toast or anywhere a nut butter might be appreciated. I find it especially delicious on Pumpkin Yeast Bread.

Pumpkin Yeast Bread is a nice change from the traditional baking soda-leavened quick bread. You may use any of the hard-shelled winter squashes, such as Butternut, Hubbard, Pink Banana, or even roasted sweet potato flesh for the Roasted Pumpkin or Winter Squash Puree. The dough is adaptable and may also be shaped into rolls.

When all you need is a slice or two, simply use a table knife to separate slices from the frozen loaf and then thaw them quickly in your toaster.

Double-bag loaves (rolls, too) in the heavy plastic bags that commercial bread comes in, knotting the opening tightly closed. Be sure to squeeze any air out of plastic bags before sealing, or use a plastic drinking straw inserted in a small opening, and “suck” it out.

A plastic drinking straw can be used to draw air from the bag.

Bread can be safely stored in the freezer practically indefinitely, but for best quality plan to use it within 6 weeks. Frozen loaves thaw nicely in 2-4 hours at room temperature, with rolls requiring less time. You should loosen, but not remove the wrappings while thawing, and wipe out any condensation that forms inside the bag. You may also remove plastic wrappings, wrap the bread in aluminum foil, and heat in a low 275 – 300 degree F oven for 30 minutes, until warm throughout.

Traveling dough. I couldn’t resist buckling it in for the photo : ) Usually I just set the bowl on the floor and cover it well to keep it out of direct sun.

In gathering my thoughts for this week’s program about homemade bread I so wanted to promise you that making your family’s bread would be neat, easy, and delicious. I have tried all the shortcut methods to homemade bread – as you may have – in hopes that I could produce good bread with less work in less time. And less mess, too. Because let’s face it – baking is messy!

There are some very “okay” recipes out there for making bread that looks like it came from a bakery. Unfortunately, most of these are sadly lacking in flavor. I’m not satisfied with “okay” bread. I want good bread. Bread that is a pleasure to eat and that sustains me. So while I cannot promise to offer you bread recipes that are “easy and mess-free!” I can promise that they are delicious. It seems one of the most important ingredients in good bread is… time. And I can offer you some tips to get you thinking about how you can work bread-baking into your life.

Baguettes with a light crisp crust, fluffy creamy crumb, and authentic flavor are within reach! Actually, it could hardly be simpler. Make the dough ahead and allow it to age in the refrigerator up to four days, gaining flavor all the while. Bake a fresh loaf for dinner– or brunch! My family especially enjoys tearing a loaf in hunks and dipping it in balsamic vinegar and olive oil with sprigs of fresh rosemary. See How to Sew a Muslin Bread Bag for directions on making the cute fabric bag seen above.

1 cup quinoa
Place quinoa in a quart jar, add lukewarm water to nearly fill the jar, cover with a sprouting lid or piece of fine nylon netting secured with a rubber band and soak 8 hours or … Read more

"Baked" in the dehydrator crackers compete with the most gourmet crackers you'll find at the market. Designed for a square dehydrator, like the Excalibur, this recipe yields about 1 3/4 lbs. of … Read more

Shaping Variation: Caramel Crown
My aunt Sharon would fix Caramel Rolls for a special breakfast whenever we traveled to the Midwest to visit her, Uncle George, and my cousins John and Alayne. … Read more

Chai-Spiced Zucchini Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting
Another great reason to grow or even <gasp!> buy zucchini. These cupcakes are fluffy and tender, redolent with the aromas of nutmeg, … Read more

Last fall I ready a blog post by Kathi Lipp, one of my favorite bloggers. In it she talked about the importance of hospitality in friendship. (See the original post here~ www.kathilipp.com) Many … Read more

Fragrant spices soaked in real half & half or coconut milk bloom into exquisite fullness in your refrigerator or freezer; brown sugar contributes a caramel-y undertone. With this mix you are … Read more

When the weather heats up, grill your pizza!
There is a way to make great pizza; pizza with a crackling crust and the tang of smoke, cheese that bubbles in pools around bits of garden … Read more

The ingredients are in your cupboard!
Handy sink set-up
For this season's Kitchen Wisdom finale I want to leave you with another skill in your repertoire -homemade … Read more

Kill bacteria for less then a penny a bottle
Three of the four bottles above are re-purposed. From left to right are: tabasco bottle,
tincture bottle, Sprayco pump spray bottle (new; … Read more